Finally, I made it to the peak of South East Asia's highest mountain. And like the guide said to us, no pain, no gain. Cliche as it sounds, and although hearing him say that sentence made me roll my eyes, it was close to the truth, especially the pain part.

They say you don't need much training to go up this sacred Kadazan mountain. You just need a lot of will-power. I agree. Because I admit I hardly prepared myself physically for this treacherous climb. I did prepare myself mentally though, because I knew that this time, I just had to make it to the summit before sunrise, or else I'd conveniently jump down the mountain and join the other souls who call this mountain their spiritual sanctuary.

Although physical preparation isn't really necessary, you still need to plan out logistics, equipment, and the other miscellaneous (and very essential) details that come along with planning a trip.

If you are planning to climb Mount Kinabalu, make your bookings as early as you can, because accommodation is often limited, especially during peak seasons. It isn't very necessary to do your bookings through a tourism agency, since most of them charge about a couple more hundred Ringgit. It is fairly easy to handle everything yourself, if you do enough research online.

We started our journey early Wednesday morning, leaving Kota Kinabalu at 7.15am from Wisma Sabah. We took a shuttle that was arranged by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, the company that handles mostly everything to do with your climb. In just a couple of hours, we arrived at the Kinabalu National Park, where we payed for our Mountain Guide, booked our transport to the foot of the mountain (Timpohon Gate), got our meal coupons, and paid our Entrance Fee to the National Park.


Once we got our lunch pack from the cafe, we hopped onto the van that transported us to Timpohon Gate. This is where you get to buy wooden sticks for the climb, and for a mere RM3, you get to carry a nicely carved wooden walking stick that would be your best friend for the next 30 hours. Trust me.


On the way up, we ensured we knew what we had to do: keep walking at a constant pace, minimize our rests, take nice pictures, drink lots of water, and stay alive for as long as we can.

If you ever do get to climb up this majestic piece of massive rock, keep your senses open as you climb up. The air is crisp and fresh, carrying a balmy breeze most of the time, until it starts raining, and you get chilly and you have to start wearing the inevitable raincoat. Still, the rain there can be pretty harmless during the first half of the climb. It just makes your walk muddier, and you start cursing even more. Apart from that, you just keep smiling.

After about 5 hours of looking at all sorts of flora and fauna, watching people going up and down the trails, and snacking every once in a while, you finally reach the end of the first half of the climb. The Laban Rata sign is also a sign of refuge and relief. Laban Rata is the base camp, where you eat your lovely buffet dinner and lunch, order your nice little pot of steaming hot coffee, and chat with all the tourists who go up with skiing sticks.

We stayed at Gunting Lagadan, the hostel that is located about another 10 minute upward climb from Laban Rata. At Gunting Lagadan, you get all the basic stuff you need. A bed, warm bedsheets and blankets, bathrooms and showers with heaters that get switched off at 8pm, a kitchen where you can boil water (they provide cups and all other necessary utensils), and you can purchase snacks and 3-in-1 packets of coffee or cocoa. Instead, bring your own coffee and cocoa, as they charge you so much more up there, naturally.

After our scrumptious buffet dinner, we walked up to Gunting Lagadan, showered, packed for the next morning's climb, chatted with our foreign roommates, then fell asleep. I slept for about an hour, only to be awoken by the noise of the flushing waters of the toilet. After that, it was a sleepless night for me, almost. I slept on and off. And when the alarm rang at 1.45am, I was already wide awake and looking forward to the challenging climb up to the peak.

The next few hours, I knew from experience, was going to be hell. We had our hot cup of cocoa and a very light breakfast, and then we started off. We began the second leg of the journey in the dark, only guided by the faint moonlight and our very bright torchlights. In a single file, we all walked up like good students slowly walking to the school assembly hall. I wasn't cold yet, and I was praying that the weather wouldn't change. It didn't. Thank Kinabalu!

The second half is tricky. You need to hold on to the rope, because if you let go, you could just roll down the cliff, no joke. But don't let that scare you. It wasn't that bad. You just have to listen to what your guide tells you. He knows best. He goes up without the help of the rope, and he walks up and down with a smile on his face. I started up walking with a smile on my face too. Didn't last long. :)

We reached the peak just as the sun was getting ready to rise. The peak was crowded with all the other very experienced climbers who reached on time for sunrise. I was glad we made it on time, because on our way down after the sunrise, there were still many people making their way up to the peak.

The walk down back to the base camp was so much easier. I actually enjoyed it. It was in fact the most fun part for me. You just take your time walking down, taking photographs and enjoying the fresh air. The air there is thin, but it won't kill you. Just don't try running up too fast or you'll definitely not be able to catch your breath on time to continue living.

We reached Gunting Lagadan and almost instinctively, we placed our very charming backsides on the chair and sat there for nearly half an hour. You see, after a dangerous climb up, and a very steady climb down, all you want to do is sit down and not do anything. You don't even feel like packing your bags for the climb back down. You just want to sit, and do nothing else. Actually I do that a lot at home too. I call it meditation.

After our buffet lunch at Laban Rata, we began our enjoyable walk down. It was enjoyable for the first 5 minutes, after which we began to feel the pain in our legs. It is really the walk back down that kills you the most. That is when you are grateful you spent RM3 on that walking stick.

The walk back down felt endless. I kept wanting to see the sign telling us we only have a few metres left to Timpohon gate. Heh, no such thing. It was torture. But fun torture. You just need to trick your brain; tell yourself you are walking through Harrod's or doing your groceries or something stupid like that. Apart from that, I enjoyed the walk down, honestly. It was just painful.

When we finally...FINALLY.. see Timpohon in front of you, you need to walk another 50 or so steps up to reach the gate. And that is the worse part. So near, yet so painful to walk to.

The long and short of it is.... it was an experience we never will forget. I surprised myself at how I was able to withstand every bit of torture and pain. It was great. I would do it again for sure, in about 10 years. I still think every Malaysian should climb up Mt Kinabalu.

Once we were down, we collected our coloured certificates to prove we reached the peak, had our buffet lunch, and headed back to Kota Kinabalu, still full of energy. We slept for about 15 hours after that.

Check out these useful links:
http://www.mount-kinabalu-borneo.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kinabalu
http://www.suterasanctuarylodges.com/
http://www.trekkerslodge.com/

Useful info:
1. You can fill up your water bottles at the little huts on the way up and down the first half of the mountain. It's fresh, untreated mountain water. We didn't get sick drinking it, so don't worry. We also mixed the water with a bit of 100 Plus. Felt like heaven drinking it.

2. Don't underestimate the temperature up there. It can get nastily cold. It was about 2 degrees celcius at Low's Peak when we were waiting for the sun to rise. That is freezing cold, especially when your gloves are damp.

3. Don't go through an agent to make your bookings. Do them yourself by dealing directly with Sutera and Kinabalu National Park. You'll save so much more money.

4. The food at the base camp is sufficient to keep you satisfied. Just bring some light snacks for your climb up and down. Stuff like bananas, bread, and muesli bars would suffice.

5. Don't get your walking stick from anywhere else. They charge much more. Just get it from the driver who drops you off at Timpohon.

6. Don't wear expensive shoes to climb. Your shoes are the first things to get dirty and torn.

7. To climb up the first half, it can be hot and sweaty. Just wear shorts and a t-shirt. You only need warm clothing for the next day when climbing up to the peak.

8. If you think you can, you can. Haha.

With a drink at the corner of my desk, my mobile phone next to me, my computer staring right back at me, and a computer mouse in my hand, I have managed to build and rebuild, destroy and diminish, design and redesign, create and control, and do what every man desires to do - control the world.

The common pattern with almost all the computer games I have played since a kid, has been that they require me to build my own world: my own city, my own people, my own land, and have complete control over almost everything.

At one point in my life, I was a loyal enthusiast of Sim City and all the other Sim games that came after it. I played the very first Sim City way back when... trees were greener and skies were bluer. I moved on to greater heights when Sim City 2000 came out. Back then, the graphics were awesome and no other game could have been better... until they came out with even better material.

Later on, I started designing my own theme parks and office towers. I was controlling the economy of some unrealistic world where everything would be perfect until a tornado suddenly decides to drop by and ruin everything. Then you'd have no choice: hit the 'BUILD NEW CITY' button. Oh the shrill!

Thanks to these games, I could enter a virtual world where I was in control of everything. I chose where to place the roads, where buildings had to be located, and what people had to do for a living to make their pathetic ends meet. Still, the thought of being in control was ecstatic. When The Sims came out, I enjoyed designing the faces and body types of my people. I chose their hair colour and style, I decided what clothes they should wear, and where they should go and when they should eat. I am glad sometimes that real life is nothing close to The Sims, or else I'd create havoc in everyone's lives, unless of course I liked you.

Then came along games like Tycoon and Ages of Empire. Once again, I could be in control of everything. I could command and conquer. I could burn down houses and kill. I could slaughter animals for food, and cut down trees to make new houses.

Now I know why I like being in control of everything. Maybe a tornado should hit my life and put me to the test. Then I'd run and look for the 'BUILD NEW LIFE' button.

Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful city by night, and those who actually live around the city seldom admire the myriad colours and people that brighten up the streets as soon as the sun sets. This city never ceases to amaze me - such a vibrant city with life lurking in every corner, not just on weekends, but practically every night of the week.


Perhaps the people who actually know and admit how wonderful the city is, are the tourists who come over and fill up the streets and malls.

Colours add excitement to our lives, and colourful is the word to describe Kuala Lumpur city at night. And under the watchful eyes of the Petronas Twin Towers, you just can't help but skip a breath and a heartbeat at the same time.


It used to be a dull place at one time, with nothing much but food stalls along the roads, and road side carts selling over-priced souvenirs. Now, however, the city has transformed into whole new world of entertainment. People who enjoy observing other people would definitely enjoy Kuala Lumpur at night, because you see all sorts of people, from all over the world, with all sorts of expressions on their faces. And if you are hungry, well, any Malaysian would know that you just have to throw a stone and you'll hit some place that sells good food. Not necessarily cheap food, but enticing nonetheless.


While many cities around the world start getting empty by sundown, Kuala Lumpur city could boast of getting livelier at night. Clubs and bars open all night long, with enough booze and music to keep you happy. Malls don't close that early either, and you'll have enough time to do your shopping without having to rush, or at least that would be so for people like me. And if you need to sit down for a rest, have a nice sip of coffee (maybe more than one sip!) and chit chat with your friends, again all you have to do is throw a stone and you'll hit some comfortable spot to pass your time efficiently.


I recently walked through the city, and the pictures you see were taken almost close to midnight. I lived in Singapore for two years, and at midnight, I could sometimes be the only person walking on the streets. What a contrast. It makes you wonder whether Malaysians have a life, or whether it is the Singaporeans who actually have a life. I guess it depends on what kind of life we refer to.


Still, life is definitely a big part of Kuala Lumpur. You can't get enough of it. And for the social-buffs, it would be a place to get spoiled for choice. Whether you are low on budget or not, I still think there is a little of something for everyone. Like they say, the people who walk these streets come from all walks of life - ALL. And you can obviously see how true that is when you look at the people who stroll these streets. You see all sorts of people, from many different cultures and lifestyles. It is, in a word, amazing. It is, in two words, Truly Asia. Yeah, pardon my lack of creativity.

Be mesmerized by Kuala Lumpur and I trust that it will be a magical place to be at night, if you only open up your eyes and heart to see what the city can offer you. Admire every colour, every person, every sound. Fill your senses, and I believe it will be a wonderful experience.

I went for the Japanese buffet at Jogoya last weekend. I had no idea what kind of food to expect. I was, however, expecting a very posh place simply because the restaurant is located at Starhill, and everything in Starhill is posh.

I went there with Cilut, and after buying her Charles & Keith shoes from Pavilion (the shoes were surprisingly cheap), we happily skipped across the road and walked into Starhill. We were excited already just getting there, but our excitement doubled when we actually walked in to Jogoya. The place was huge, and it was like a maze. No ordinary maze, mind you. It was a maze with food! And who wouldn't want to get stuck in a maze that had food like... sashimi, tempura, fresh sushi, teppanyaki, crabs and prawns, curry and all kinds of soups, a bar with Japanese and western alcoholic drinks, a desert corner that could even beat Charlie's chocolate factory, and so much more, yes, much much more. It was unbelievable.

Thanks to LiteFM, I had the chance to eat at Jogoya with the company of the LiteFM announcers. It is nice to win stuff over the radio, and unlike some people who win movie tickets, I am glad I won a fabulous dinner ;)

"Explosive claims linking Najib to Altantuya"